Metal button



Sept. 19, 1950 H. c. ROBERTSON 2,522,585

METAL BUTTON Filed June 4, 194a INVENTOR H/IEPY C. Posaerso/v ATTOR N Patented Sept. 19, 1950 ICE METAL BUTTON Harry '0. Robertson, New York,'N. Y., assignor to Nathan Scher, Flushing, N. Y.

Application June 4, 1948, Serial No. 31,154

3 Claims.

This invention is a metal button of the character commonly used on ladies dresses, uniforms and the like. They generally comprise a button body to the back of which is secured an attaching eye through which the thread may be passed to secure the button to the garment.

I Heretofore these buttons have universally been made by forming the body of the button of one piece of metal, separately forming the'attaching eye from another piece of metal and-thereafter securing these parts to one another to form the complete button. The assembly of these separate parts -isexpensive and no matter how well they are fastened together, they frequently come apart after the button has been used for a time.

The object of the present invention is to produce a one piece button of superior construction embodying all the advantages of prior metal buttons but much more economical to manufacture and practically indestructible under normal usage. 1

Generally speaking, the button of the present invention is made from a flat blank of sheet metal, having a body portion forthe formation of the button body and provided with lateral tongues or extensions adapted to be bent, through the employment of appropriate dies, to form a shank with an integral attaching eye. This eye is so formed as to eliminate sharp edges which would be apt to cut the thread and release the button from the garment. The body of the blank may be drawn, stamped or otherwise manipulated to produce a button body of the desired shape with finished edges which cannot injure the wearer or harm delicate fabrics on which the button may be sewed.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and appended claims, when read in, conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates different practical embodiments of the invention, but the constructions therein shown are to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a flat blank stamped from sheet metal.

Figure 1a is a section of the blank of Figure 1.

Figure 2 shows the first step in forming the blank into a button. This step constitutes a combined bending and drawing operation.

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show consecutive steps in the formation of the button, Figure 6 showing the finished button.

Figure 6a is a transverse section through the finished button shown in Figure 6.

Figure 7 is a, perspective view showing a modi-' fied form of button made according to this invention.

Figure 7a is a transverse section through the button of Figure 7. 5

In manufacturing one form of button according to the present invention, I start with a flat blank, such as shown in Figures 1 and la. Blanks.

of this kind are stamped from sheet metal stock of sufiiciently heavy gauge to permit the material thereof to be drawn and shaped and to impart the necessary strength to the finished button.

The drawings show, for the purpose of illustration, the making of a circular button with a This boss is later adapted to serve the purposeof a hollow rivet as hereinafter'explained. The perforation 1 in the tongue 4 is formed by cutting out the stock and is of a diameter substan-' tially equal to the external diameter of the tubular boss 6 of the other tongue.

After the blank has thus been formed, it is operated upon by a succession of bending and drawing dies to form it into the finished button.

The. number of steps required for this manipula tion of the metal will of course depend upon the metal used, the size of the button, andthe design or shape of such button. However, in Fig ures 1-6, I have shown six steps in the formation of the button. I t

Figure 2 shows the body 2 of the blank'dished or drawn to some extent, so that the dome is thereby partially formed and simultaneously-the outer end portionsof the tongues 3 and 4 are bent, as indicated at 8, so that said end portions are arranged in angular relation to the remainder of the tongues of which they form a part. By the operation shown in Figure 3, the body of the blank is further drawn to give it greater depth. The full depth of the dome may be completed in this step.

The next step consists in starting the formation of an inturned flange 9 about the margin of the dome, as shown in Figure 4. By this step,

asaasss the marginal portion of the dome is drawn inwardly, carrying with this marginal portion the tongues 3 and 4, so that the bent end portions of these arms are caused to approach one another. Figure shows this same operation carried further so that the inturnin of the flange 9 has progressed appreciably while the bent end portions of the tongues 3 and 4 are brought into close proximity with the boss 5 of the tongue 3 alined with and about to enter the perforation I in the arm 4.

The next step consists in completing the turning of the flange 9 until all partsof this flange preferably occupy a common plane, during which operation the boss 6 enters into andprojects through the perforation I. That portion of the boss which extends beyond the perforation is next flanged outwardly in a radial direction after the manner of manipulating a hollow rivet or grommet to bend the free end of the boss over the outer surface of the arm through which it projects, as shown best at W in Figure So. When this flange is formed, it serves to permanently look the bent end portions of the tongues to gether and complete the formation of the button. The boss 6 thus functions, in effect, as a hollow rivet formed integral with one of the arms. The tubular attachment thus provided will produce a-smooth passage through which thread may be passed in sewing the button on the garment and a strong and highly efficient attaching eye is thus provided on the button. The bent end portions of the arms may be made of any appropriate length, so that the button will have a neck or shank best suited for the use for which it is intended.

Thebutton as thus far described will have a domed body, perfectly smooth throughout with an inturned flange at its base providing a smooth finished edge about the button. In some cases it may be desired to provide an embossed or stamped design upon the body of such button. In such cases, this stamped design may be formeddirectly upon the blank 2 during or after the blanking operation or it may be stamped into the body of the button during or between any of the drawing and shaping operations described.

In Figures '7 .and 70. I have shown a button having a body in the form of a flat disk. In these. figures the body 2a corresponds to the domed body 2 of the structure of F gures 1-6, but this body is flat. It is simply blanked flat and left fiat. The same blank may be used as illustrated in Figure 1. That is to say, it is provided with the tongues 3 initially .formed flat, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, and these tongues are simply bent over against the back of the body 2a. The end portions of the tongues are bent into face contacting relation and secured together by an extruded boss, as hereinbefore described. Buttons made, according to Figures-'7 and 7a, should have all edges of the blank smoothed by thumbling or otherwise, so that these edges will not be rough or sharp enough to injure the user or fine fabrics of garments to which this button may be attached.

The button of the present invention may be made by automatic machinery in a simple and expeditious manner and through the employment of a minimum amount of labor. Inasmuch as it is strictly a one-piece button, the various elements thereof cannot possibly become disengaged from one another. It is, in effect, indestructible.

.The foregoin detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the. appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent .is:

1. Abutton comprising: a body provided at opposite sides with integral tongues bent toward one another at the back of the body with the ends of the tongues upset into facial contact with one another, the abutting portion of one of said tongues being perforated and the corresponding part of the other tongue having formed therefrom a tubular boss extending through said perforation and terminally flanged to lock the abutting portions permanently to one another.

2. A button comprising: a domed 'body provided at its opposite sides with tongues bent toward one'another at the back of the body with the ends of the tongues upsetinto facial contact withone another, the abutting portion of one of said'tongues being perforated and the corresponding part of the other tongue having formed therefrom a tubular boss extending through said perforation and terminally flanged to lock the abutting portions permanently to one" another.

3. A button comprising: a domed body pro vided around its periphery with an inturned flange, said flange having at its opposite sides tongues extending toward-one another with their end portions bentinto face abutting relation,

the abutting end'portion of one of said'tongues being perforated and the corresponding portion of the other tongue having an integral tubular boss extending through said perforation and ter minally flanged to permanently secure the ton-f gues together.

HARRY C. ROBERTSON.

REFERENCES @ITED Thefollowing references are of'record. in the file of this patent: p

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

